


Twelve Drummers Drumming

by cissamione



Series: Twelve Days of Christmas [12]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Christmas, F/F, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 19:04:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17310194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cissamione/pseuds/cissamione
Summary: Rhona and Vanessa spend the day out in London after a conference.





	Twelve Drummers Drumming

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the last one! and ofc is Vanity with a side of Rhona/Pete.  
> The twelve drummers are a brief mention in the fic, but I hope everyone enjoys it!

The conference is as boring and tedious as Vanessa and Rhona expect, but it’s a good opportunity to get away to London for a girls weekend before Christmas, and Paddy insisted, given that he and Chas were going away over Christmas, leaving Vanessa and Rhona to cover the holiday period, when almost everyone’s pets eat something they shouldn’t. They had decided to spent the Monday after the weekend conference in London too, shopping and de-stressing.

They sleep in on Monday, and spend the day wandering up and down Oxford Street. Rhona buys Leo a set of hand-painted wooden drummers, and Vanessa find the game Noah wants that no-one sells in Hotten. She also picks up toys for Johnny and Moses, makeup for Tracy, and a couple of things for Charity, that she is sure the blonde landlady will enjoy. There are brass bands, choirs, and buskers every few shops, relentlessly singing and playing Christmas carols, each trying to be the dominant sound, and by the end of the day, Vanessa’s ears, used to the quiet countryside, are ringing as Rhona leads her into a snazzy cocktail bar and buys the first round.

“So, what was that I saw you sneakily buying in Selfridges?” Rhona leans across their small table with a smirk, plucking a chip from the bowl and eating it.

Vanessa feels her cheeks heating, and she’s sure it’s not from the cocktail. “It’s for Charity… kind of.”

“I didn’t think yellow was Charity’s colour. She seems more of a black or blood-red kind of girl to me. "Rhona sipped her cocktail, giggling a little as Vanessa reddened even more, but she can see way Vanessa’s eyes seem brighter when she talks about Charity, and she knows Charity always have the same expression. They are almost annoyingly lovesick sometimes, but Rhona can’t really begrudge either of them their happiness.

Vanessa ducked her head fiddled with the lemon on the side of her glass. “She- I… She is. She like me in yellow though.” Vanessa can’t meet Rhona’s eyes, the drink has easily loosened her tongue, and she never turns down a chance to think about Charity. Rhona laughs some more, and it’s contagious, and soon enough neither woman can contain their giggles.

When they finally calm down, and order new drinks, Rhona lifts her head and looks seriously as Vanessa. “I’m happy for you, Ness, I really am. You deserve happiness, and, honestly, I didn’t think Charity would be capable of giving it to you, but she has, and you’ve done the same for her, and you and Johnny both clearly adore her, so you better make sure she knows that.”

Vanessa meets Rhona’s big brown eyes and smiles softly. “I am. Happy. She makes me so happy, and she knows that. I thought I knew what love was, before Charity. I thought I loved Kirin, you,” Vanessa scoffs at herself, and Rhona laughs, knowing she doesn’t mean anything by her comment, “but with Charity, it’s completely different. It’s like, when she looks a me, like I’m flying and falling at the same time, but I know she’ll catch me, you know?” Vanessa tilts her head and lifts her drink to her lips.

“I know. I loved Paddy like that, and Theo, my first husband.” Rhona’s eyes sink to her glass, staring down at the pink drink. “I think I love Pete like that too.” She says, her voice so quiet that Vanessa nearly doesn’t catch what she says.

Vanessa reaches across the table and takes Rhona’s hand gently. “That’s good, right? That’s good. Leo has a great time with him, and he really seems to enjoys spending time with Leo too.” Vanessa’s tone is encouraging and it makes Rhona’s lips curve into a smile.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s wonderful with Pete, and now’s not the time to get maudlin about past relationships, is it? We’re both in love, so let’s get drunk, and I’ll pretend I don’t wish you were Pete, and you can pretend you don’t wish I were Charity.” Rhona threw her shoulders back, and waived the waitress over, ordering a third round. Vanessa laughs at her, with her.

“And we can both pretend we don’t miss our kids something dreadful.” Vanessa downs the last of her drink as the new ones arrive. “You know, before we left, Moses gave me a drawing of Charity, me, Johnny, Noah, and himself that he’d done at nursery. I nearly cried.”

“I bet you did, you emotional old bag!” Rhona and Vanessa both fell about giggling, and Vanessa pointed her finger at the other vet.

“Just you watch who you’re calling old, lady!”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments! Did you like the series? I have had a great time writing it, though I wrote every fic around midnight! which left me kinda tired :)


End file.
